Session with R.K.Mandaliya Sir.

R. K. Mandaliya Sir is  English professor in S.P. University in Department of English at VallabhVidyanagar. Gracefully teach us about  Metaphysical poetry and John Donne's several poems. In my blog I'm gonna discuss few interesting  information on Metaphysical poetry given by Mandaliya Sir.

WHAT IS METAPHYSICAL POETRY???
Metaphysical poetry occupies on uniqe place In the history of English Poetry. It was written in post Shakespearean era, During the age of Milton and it continued up to the beginning of the restoration age.  The main exponents of the metaphysical poetry were John Donne, who was the pioneer and the Poets who followed Donne's style of writing were...  George Herbert,  Richard Crashaw,  Abraham Cawly,  Andrew Marvell. John Donne and his followers came to be known as the Metaphysical school of poetry.  There are certain features which differentiate their poetry from the poetry of former poets. The following are the features of Metaphysical poetry.

                       (John Donne)
(1) All the Metaphysical poets made an conscious attempt to see that their poetry differ in the style of writing from the style of former poets. They did not want to follow foot step of the Elizabethan Poet's.
One critic named -Helen C. White  justifies it saying that had they continue writing poetry in same manner,  their poetry would have been rejected by their readers.  The reason was printing facility was available, printed literature was available so,  people have cultivated reading habbit. The result was that people were more intelligent and so they would have rejected.  Metaphysical poetry had that been written in simple.

(2)All the Metaphysical poet are the degree holders,  they were the men of learning and university graduates. They made a conscious attempts to see that their learning and scholarships are reflected in their poetry. They are not willing to use the simple diction as it was done by the former poets. They made use of difficult words to exhibit their learning and scholarship.

(3)It was Dr. Sammual Johnson who while writing the life sketch of Abraham Cowly
Used for the first time the term... "The Metaphysical Poetry." for the poetry of Donne and his school when Johnson used this word it was in a negative sense because he wants to criticise the poetry of Donne and  his followers.  Later on with the passion of time this word become a word of praise for the Metaphysical Poetry.

(4)Dr.Johnson has highlighted one remarkable of the drawback of the metaphysical poetry.  He mentions that the metaphysical poetry stood it trial of their fingers but not the trial of their ear.  In other words their poetry is lacking in music, rhyme and rhythm. Dr. Johnson discards the metaphysical poetry calling it... Artificial.

(5)Allmost all the metaphysical poet depends upon the far fetched images for their poetry.  They selected images from those fields which have nothing common with poetry.  The images which they used belong to...  The field of science,  Engineering, Architecture, Biology, Agriculture,  Political Science and many other fields. Far fetched images proved to be a remarkable features of their poetry and it is to be found in all metaphysical poet's.